Bishop Gregory Parkes has announced that a Visioning Process for the Diocese of St. Petersburg will begin in December to develop a mutually shared vision for the Diocese of St. Petersburg that includes priorities that will be addressed over the next three years.

He has assembled a team (click here to see list of members) to lead this effort that represents a diverse group of men and women, priests, religious, and laity from across the various regions of our diocese. Various ages and ethnicities are also represented.

Bishop Parkes has asked Catholic Leadership Institute to facilitate the Visioning Process, which is expected to take about six months. The process involves prayer, reflection and information sharing.

“We entrust the visioning process to our Lord. Through prayer and discernment, our Lord will direct our steps and we will place our trust in Him,” said Bishop Parkes, acknowledging that the Holy Spirit will be the source of inspiration as decisions are made.

Catholic Leadership Institute was chosen to facilitate because they have a proven record of assisting bishops, priests, deacons and lay persons in the Roman Catholic Church with world-class, pastoral leadership formation and consulting services that renew the life of the Church and enable leaders to articulate a vision for their future. CLI has served the Diocese of St. Petersburg for many years. They have fostered priestly development through the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds Program and also training pastoral center employees during the Tending the Talents training that was offered in 2016 to develop the gifts of each employee, strengthen the quality of ministerial relationships and enhance service to the parishes.